Abstract [en]

When humans find themselves in difficult situations, hope can be an important resource. Despite this, hope has the ability to fail you in those crucial moments when it is most needed. The feeling of hopelessness can be a heavy burden and can create immense suffering for the patient. Therefore, it is crucial that the feeling of hopelessness is understood and revealed when prominent so that hope can be encouraged. For patients suffering cancer, support from the community is an important factor to boost hope. By providing personalized and health-promoting care the nurse can contribute towards giving hope nourishment. The purpose of this study is to elucidate hope in caring in patients with breast- or prostate cancer. The method consists of a systematic literature review with an inductive approach. The result shows three different areas that hope is influenced by: the individual, their relationships, and the importance that the caregiver puts on hope. It illustrates how hope can be expressed in these three different categories. The support of friends and family was crucial for the ability to feel hope, developing a sense of meaning, and having a trusting relationship with the nurse. The attitude towards the disease and the self-esteem are also of great importance for the ability to feel hope. Further research is needed to investigate the meaning of hope for elder men.